STUDY AREA AND METHODS 



The BLM's Miles City District (comprised of the former Billings, Big Dry, and Powder River 

 Resource Areas) was surveyed during the 1998 inventory, portions of the Billings Resource Area 

 in Carbon County were surveyed in 1995, and those data are included in this report. The area 

 bounded by the Miles City District is huge, stretching from near Yellowstone National Park in the 

 southwest to Saskatchewan in the northeast, and bordered by North Dakota and South Dakota to 

 the east, and Wyoming to the south. Land cover of the District is mostly agricuhural lands, 

 grasslands, or shrublands, with scattered pine forests in the south, and riparian gallery forest and 

 other riparian types along major drainages, such as the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers and their 

 tributanes. Elevation is generally below 5000 ft (1500 m), but the southwestern comer of the 

 Miles City District encompasses several mountain uplifts (such as the Big Horn, Pryor, and 

 Beartooth mountians). 



Historical records from museum collections can be very useful in determining long-term changes 

 in populations or shifts in biodiversity (Shaffer et al. 1998). Historical locations of amphibians 

 and reptiles were recorded from the literature (see Bibliography) and museum specimen records. 

 Records were received ft-om over 20 major North American museums that have computerized 

 their collection records (see Acknowledgments). Locations derived from these sources have been 

 entered into a database and digitized. Distribution maps were created using survey and sighting 

 data and historical records, including museum specimens. 



Survey sites were chosen based on 3 criteria; 1) high priority sites as determined by the BLM; 2) 

 location of streams, seeps and wetlands on topographic maps; and 3) accessibility of the wetlands 

 by roads. Based on the above, 3-6 sites were chosen daily for surveys. From five minutes to 3 

 hours were spent at each site (mean = 58.5 minutes), depending upon the size of the area and 

 what was found. Initially, the entire shoreline, or a major part thereof, was searched by walking 

 slowly along the edge and up into the surrounding vegetation, including rolling over rocks and 

 logs. At regular intervals, the aquatic habitat was sampled for tadpoles or larvae using dipnets. If 

 the initial sampling showed amphibian/reptile species present, ftirther eftbrt was expended in order 

 to get a more comprehensive view of abundance and distribution. 



An attempt was made to capture at least the first few individuals of a species seen at a survey site. 

 The species name was recorded along with developmental stage and sex (if possible), the animals 

 were then released. On occasion, representative samples of the more common species in an area 

 were preserved for permanent museum records and will be deposited at the Idaho State University 

 Museum. Water temperature, air temperature, and a general description of the area were 

 recorded Standardized data sheets were used during this project, the amphibian survey data 

 sheet was developed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is used extensively by a variety of 

 researchers in the western U.S. Much site-specific data was gathered during these surveys; not all 

 data has been analyzed or is presented in this report, but is available from the Montana Natural 

 Heritage Program. 



